Thursday, February 23, 2017

Originally from
Wisconsin, Reid mixes classical wood furniture with modern design and
interpretations. These pieces are part of a collaborative series with
other well known artists across the county, ranging from professors, independent
artists, and film designers. Other works can be seen in the permanent
collection at the Museum of Wisconsin Art.

Dave Berfield,
originally from Pennsylvania, has a background in art and art education, and
studied ceramics at the University of Hawaii where he received an MFA. In
Seattle he learned enameling techniques and over 35 years collaborated with
many artists, including painter Jacob Lawrence, on large-scale public murals,
fixing enamel images to steel. His company was called The Porcelain Company.
The Lawrence enamels in Seattle's Kingdome were Barfield's work and were moved
to the Seattle Convention Center when the Kingdome came down. More recently he built a prototype mural with
artist Ellen Forney, painted with porcelain enamel on steel, for the Sound
Transit Capitol Hill Station opened in March, 2016.

Sean Carleton of Carleton Fine Work and KT Hancock of Velvet Nugget
Studios initially connected through Instagram in 2014. A collaborative design
effort was begun and catalyzed by Hancock and Carleton’s keen eye for craft,
art and design. Steel and brass fabricated settings cradle large-scale
gemstones that exude illuminated luxury and preciousness to its surroundings.
In vivid color the emeralds emit both clear and green light that allude to the
place of its conception, The Emerald City and The Evergreen State. The colored
light is then refracted off a cube shaped crystal held in the sculpture’s
center. Distortions that occur within the central crystal spread light
and color onto the adjacent surfaces.

Michelle
de la Vega is a Seattle based installation artist, designer and welder. Her
work has a distinct visual voice, and her large scale projects are immersed in
social practice and community building. She has been making metal furniture and
sculpture for the last 8 years, and greatly enjoys collaborating with her
partner Jeff Ludwig. Michelle has also been an international spokesperson for
the tiny house movement due to the well known 250 sq. ft. home she designed and
built for herself 10 years ago.

Renee Jameson was born
in Western Washington and received her BFA from Cornish College of the Arts in
Seattle. She is a monotype artist living and working on Bainbridge Island.
Currently she is the printmaker liaison for the Bainbridge Artisan Resource
Network (BARN) setting up the print studio for the BARN. She has work
represented in private collections in Santa Barbara, La Jolla and Bainbridge
Island.

This body of my
work - which is created by taking multiple layers of fabric, manipulating,
sewing, cutting, and washing them to make the ﬁbers “bloom” - had a
serendipitous beginning. I had fabric remnants from a variety of architectural
and interior design projects. I started experimenting with layering, sewing
them in lines at close intervals, cutting and washing, in an effort to create a
soft, tactile, dog-friendly throw for our sofa. The results got my creative
juices ﬂowing. I quickly saw lots of possibilities, determined which fabrics
worked best and how this newly created “Ridge and Furrow Chenille” could be
used. Benches and ottomans soon followed. “Ridge and Furrow” designs for the
wall, as well as a “quilt,” developed simultaneously.The
process continues to excite me and take me in new directions.

Living and working
in Port Townsend, Washington, David designs and builds residential and
commercial wood furniture that allow him to join together his creative and
technical abilities. David creates graceful, contemporary pieces that
highlight the natural beauty of the wood and make the most of a valuable
natural resource, providing lasting beauty and utility withoutstanding craftsmanship.

Jeff Ludwig is a master metal smith and artist who has worked in
Seattle fabricating the highest quality architectural, furniture and sculptural
artifacts for the last 25 years. He was the designer and creator of Seattle's
celebrated Horses Cut Shop. Jeff and his partner, artist Michelle de la Vega,
create art and furniture together when they're not teaching dance or off
fishing and camping.

Jacki began felting in 2012 after being attracted to
the texture and dimension of felt for many years – fascinated by its
properties, how to make it, and how to make things with it. She has most
enjoyed making bowls, vessels and wall hangings. She also worked with beads,
sewing them onto her creations, which are made with merino wool. She uses both
wet and needle felting processes, where the wool ﬁbers become intertwined to
create a design and/or a form.Jacki
recently moved to Bainbridge Island from California.

Joe O’Brien, educated
at the University of Washington (BA, Art Education) and in ceramics at Northern
Illinois University (MA, MFA), has exhibited throughout the Midwest as well as the
Northwest and operated a custom ceramic tile business for many years.He collaborated with Jacob Lawrence in the
designing and creation of a ceramic mosaic mural for the City of New York and
designed a porcelain enamel mural for the Orlando International Airport.More recently he has proposed a ceramic
mosaic mural for the Washington State Capitol.

The pottery that I make stems from and is inspired by
2 different sources.One is the Arts
& Crafts boom that flowered in the USA in the 1960’s and 1970’s.Enrolled at the University of California at
Santa Cruz in the mid-1970s, I studied pottery for 2 years with Al Johnsen and
earned a BA degree.Several years after
that, in 1982, I went to Japan where I studied pottery for about 4 years in the
Mino area (Tajimi City and surroundings) near Nagoya, mainly with a potter
named Yoshihiko Yoshida.Just as people
age and may provide lessons for life, so too does pottery that is still with us
after many centuries. A centuries old bowl from the Momoyama Period in Japan,
held in the hand, can tell a potter much about his craft. The old pots inspire
me

Chris Thompson, an artist who recently moved from
northern Michigan to Washington, is committed to fine wood working. He is an
avid collector of both antique woodworking tools and rare and exotic woods,
reflected in the range of functional and sculptural pieces he creates, from
beautifully grained boxes and book stands to whimsical birdhouses.

About The Island Gallery

Established
in 2002, The Island Gallery features
internationally
recognized artists whose work takes traditional art forms in exciting new
directions: studio furniture
and sculpture; museum quality textile art and wearables; wood fired ceramics from the finest potters in
America; paintings and prints; and unique jewelry creations. Our monthly exhibitions
include live musical concerts, featuring such genres as jazz, rock, folk,
chamber music and performance art.This,
along with its reputation for excellence, makes The Island Gallery a
destination spot on beautiful
Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, and steps
from the new Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.

Thursday, February 9, 2017

If you happen to be in the Palos Verdes, California, area or are planning a trip that way in the next few months, here's something to add to your to-do list while you're in the area. Featured in the exhibition is one of our very own distinguished artists, Carol Lee Shanks, known for creating extraordinary wearables and fiber installations from incredible textiles. We highly recommend you stop in and take a look.

Here is their invitation:

Text written by the Palos Verdes Art Center.

The Palos Verdes Art Center is a non-profit community art
gallery and school. PVAC has made the visual arts available to
southwestern Los Angeles County for more than 80 years.

About Us

400 Winslow Way E., #120, Bainbridge Island, Washington, United States

Established in 2002, The Island Gallery features the work of internationally recognized artists in the fields of studio furniture and sculpture; museum quality textile art and wearables; wood fired ceramics; paintings and prints; and unique jewelry creations. Our monthly exhibitions include live musical concerts, featuring such genres as jazz, rock, folk, chamber music and performance art. This, along with its reputation for excellence, makes The Island Gallery a destination spot on beautiful Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle.
On this blog we will have an opportunity to quickly post news of our latest acquisitions and favorite things, to relay information on upcoming events both in the gallery and in the area, and to hear back from you.
Phone: 206.780.9500
Hours: Monday-Friday, 11-6pm; Saturday, 10-6pm; Sunday, 12-5pm.